The right back has been out of action since limping off in the Hoops’ in the first leg of their Champions League play-off defeat to Kairat Almaty
18:28, 11 Nov 2025Updated 19:53, 11 Nov 2025
Celtic’s Alistair Johnston leaves the field with an injury
Alistair Johnston has confirmed that he has successfully undergone surgery for a hamstring injury and hopes that the issue is now behind him for good.
The Celtic star has been on the treatment table since he was forced off in the first leg of their Champions League play-off loss to Kairat Almaty.
In his absence at right back, deputy Anthony Ralston has picked up more minutes while youngster Colby Donovan has also featured for the first team.
Johnston has been a big hit since his arrival from Montreal CF in the winter transfer window of 2023, which came off the back of some dazzling displays for Canada at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He has racked up 116 appearances in total, registering seven goals and 22 assists.
Johnston has represented Canada on 56 occasions and was named in the Team of the Tournament at last year’s Copa America.
And while the 27-year-old is not able to put a timescale on his return to action, he hopes to play at part in Celtic’s pursuit of a fifth straight Premiership title, with the Parkhead giants currently trailing Derek McInnes’ Hearts by seven points with a game in hand.
Celtic’s Alistair Johnston leaves the field with an injury
Johnston is also desperate to ensure he is fit again for the finals in North America, with co-hosts Canada hoping to go one better than their group stage exit in the Middle East three years ago.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “These past few months have been as challenging as any for me personally since my career began.
“With that being said, I’m happy to say that I successfully underwent surgery today to repair my hamstring and hopefully this will be the first step in putting this injury behind me for good.
“Thank you for the support during this time and I can’t wait to be back fully fit later this season for a title push and a home World Cup.”
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